Ribbons and Wrappers
by Jiemme
Summary: Due to procrastination, Marinette decided to have her gifts wrapped in the mall department store's gift wrapping services. To her surprise, the free lane in front of her was handled by a boy with a very familiar, well-combed mop of blond hair. "A-Adrien?" "Hey, Marinette!" [Adrinette Christmas fluff]
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Miraculous Ladybug.

 **A/N:** I already posted this in AO3, but yeah! Here's a take on a Miraculous Ladybug Christmas featuring Adrinette fluff in the shopping mall. I hope you guys like it! Please read and maybe drop a review! :) I hope you have a wonderful, miraculous, blessed Christmas!

 **...**

 **Ribbons and Wrappers**

 _Due to procrastination, Marinette decided to have her gifts wrapped in the mall department store's gift wrapping services. To her surprise, the free lane in front of her was handled by a boy with a very familiar, well-combed mop of blond hair._

 _"_ _A-Adrien?"_

 _"_ _Hey, Marinette!"_

 **...**

It took Marinette months to save up for several gifts she knew her parents wanted. On a bustling snow day, she donned her pinkest and warmest jacket and boots before paying a visit to the local mall. She snagged two baby blue aprons with a cheat sheet for measurement conversions ( _buy one take one sale!_ Marinette thought excitedly), a silicone spatula set, nesting prep bowls, and a set of icing nozzles in her father's favorite baking supply store. She knew her mother would give her father new non-stick pans, which prompted her to check around the bakery kitchen to check what she could add.

Oh, if only the holidays gave her a break in being Ladybug. The atmosphere in the city was supposed to be cheerful and loving and bright. Of course, this was the case… but it wouldn't prevent several relationships to strain or accidents to happen that would eventually build up negative emotions for Hawkmoth to detect. Akumas were still being let loose and Marinette couldn't believe she had to handle three within the week. And it was only Wednesday!

This gave her less time to work on the gifts she had to make. She still hadn't finished the Ladybug-themed jacket she would give to Alya or the floral dress she would give to her mother (she still had to buy buttons and other things, which was why today was a great day to go to the mall), and she hadn't started on her gift for Adrien! At least, though, she already bought a present for Ivan for the class Secret Santa and for Miss Bustier for being such an amazing teacher. She would give everyone else a small box of pastries (her father would handle it; anything for his daughter!).

Due to this uncalled for procrastination, Marinette decided to have her gifts wrapped in the mall department store's gift wrapping services. She immediately maneuvered through the crowded store and trotted to the large gift wrapping station. Many large boxes of appliances stood in the middle of the area. The customer seats weren't fully occupied, _thank goodness_ , and there was apparently one free lane she could go to without scuffling with panicking and rushing shoppers.

As she approached the free lane, she couldn't help but notice how familiar the person handling the lane was. She couldn't conclude anything since the boy's back was turned. She could swear his hair was the same shade as Adrien's wheat gold blond hair. It was also combed the same way – she would know, seeing as she was sitting behind him in school.

He turned around, and Marinette almost dropped the paper bags she was carrying.

"A-Adrien?" she said a little too loudly. Other people moved their gaze on her, but Marinette was too focused on Adrien to see their expressions.

He flashed a very charming smile at her, his green eyes behind thin black-rimmed glasses glowing with excitement. "Hey, Marinette!"

What was he doing here?

Why was he wearing a uniform?

 _Oh. My. He looks great in a uniform! And he's wearing glasses!_

"Y-you're probably thinking what I'm doing here, huh?" he asked, rubbing the back of his head, smile turning nervous.

Marinette's lip trembled, but she immediately smiled. "Y-yes! W-why are you working here?"

Adrien chuckled. "Long story short: my father didn't want me to use my savings from working for him to buy a present for Nino. So… here I am working. Not under him."

The girl's eyes widened, placing a hand in front of her mouth to hold back a gasp. "Why?"

"He said Nino's a bad influence," Adrien sighed, lip curling downwards for a moment. "Let's keep this between us, okay?"

Marinette nodded. She was somewhat aware of Adrien's life at home ( _not because of stalking!)_ because Alya often shared Nino's stories to her. It was obvious Gabriel Agreste triggered Nino's akumatizing, but did he really call his son's best friend a bad influence?

"So… I never pegged you to be someone to have other people gift wrap your gifts," Adrien said, breaking the silence between them. Marinette placed the paper bags containing her gifts on the counter and watched Adrien unload them individually.

"I… I've been really busy so I-I have no time to wrap them," Marinette confessed, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear and avoiding Adrien's gaze. "A-and! And I don't want my parents to have a peek on their presents when I arrive h-home," she added.

"Smart," Adrien laughed, grinning as he pulled out the pair of aprons. "Whoa, these are cool."

Marinette gave him a small smile. "My father's a great baker, but sometimes he takes out his recipe card filled with conversions. He also has a pad paper just in case he needs to solve. Next year, I'll get him a calculator," she joked, stifling a giggle.

Adrien, however, didn't hold back. He fell into a fit of giggles (manly giggles), catching the attention of his co-workers around him and girls passing by. While his co-workers either sent glares or fond smiles, the girls chattered to themselves quite loudly. Marinette's ears turned red when she started hearing them swoon over "that cute counter boy" and plot to buy "presents" so they could make him wrap them.

"It's a good thing I have these glasses. I'm amazed people don't recognize me just because of a change in wardrobe." Adrien feigned a cough before adding, "Except you, of course."

He gave her a little wink, and Marinette bit her tongue to avoid rambling or giggling in front of him. If only she asked Alya to accompany her! But then again, Alya had always wanted her to face Adrien alone. ' _Have some courage, girl!' is what Alya would tell me. Or yell._

"Where'd you buy these nifty gifts? I'm pretty sure they're not from this department store," Adrien asked, eyeing down the neon blue spatulas. He took out the box of nesting prep bowls and exhaled with a smile. Marinette assumed he was relieved he would only be wrapping boxes and a few other items.

"I-I bought them from my dad's favorite bakery supply store," Marinette replied as she rubbed her palms together. _Boy, the aircon in this store is really cold!_ "T-they had a sale today."

"I'll check it out later," Adrien told her as he pulled out a glossy pink cylindrical wrapper from below the counter. "My chauffer wants to bake some cookies of his own."

The figurative butterflies in Marinette's stomach fluttered as she stared at him with pure admiration and awe. He was so nice and considerate! She couldn't imagine what a world like this had done to deserve such an angel to walk its ground.

"D-does your f-father's assistant know about this?" Marinette asked, breaking the timid silence between them. She watched Adrien spread out the pink wrapper filled with white polka dots and red cursive "Merry Christmas!" greetings.

"Natalie? Nah. No. I-uh, I didn't bother to tell her. She would tell Father if she finds out," he replied. "I only told my chauffer, which is why I want to give him great gifts for being a great secret keeper. And, of course, I told you."

The room suddenly felt hotter, and Marinette wondered whether someone tampered with the temperature control or if her face was on fire. Only she and his chauffer knew about this. She knew one of his secrets. She knew Adrien's secret. And Adrien trusted her.

Well, he couldn't really do anything if Marinette saw him working. But he didn't keep reminding her to be silent about it, at least. That was trust, right?

"I'm amazed they made Ladybug and Chat Noir-themed wrappers this year," Adrien said, pointing at the wrapper he spread out. "It's not red and black like Ladybug's outfit, but I think you like pink, right?"

 _He knows my favorite color!_

 _Or maybe it's because of my pants?_

"I love pink!" she blurted out a little too enthusiastically. The other workers were busy, however, in wrapping the presents assigned to them while listening to their customers give directions. Which reminded Marinette… didn't workers have to tell customers they could sit down at the waiting area while they wrap their gifts?

No matter. Whether Adrien knew this or not, she was still spending some quality time with him.

"I could tell," Adrien chuckled. "I initially thought to use the Chat Noir wrapper since you find him cool and all, but maybe it's a little too much?"

She bit her lip. _Anything that has to do with that cat is too much!_ It was a mystery to her how exactly Adrien perceived her ever since she said Chat Noir was cool. Of course, she mentioned that the masked hero wasn't as cool as Adrien. _But what if he thinks I'm madly crushing on Chat? That stupid cat!_

"Y-your choice of wrapper is better," she answered, trying to hide that underlying disappointment she felt on the possibility that her crush thought she had a crush on someone else. And of all people, it had to be Chat Noir.

"How do you want me to wrap this, by the way?" he asked. He placed the box of nesting prep bowls on top of the plain white face of the wrapper. Marinette moved closer to the counter and scratched out the tape firmly keeping the top of the box closed. She opened it and cocked her head sideways.

"Hmm," she began, tapping her chin. "Oh! W-we can put the icing nozzles and the aprons inside."

"Do you want me to remove the price tags?" he asked. It sounded more like a suggestion than a question.

"T-thank you," she whispered.

He grinned at her. "Don't thank me just yet. I haven't started wrapping anything."

Marinette watched him scratch out the stickers from the apron strings, ice nozzle plastic, and bowl box, wondering if Adrien would ask her to sit in the waiting area first. The customers previously beside her were already busy tapping their fingers on their smartphones with legs crossed, while others were busy watching their kids play hide-and-seek in the jungle of large boxes at the center of the gift wrapping service area.

Was Adrien doing this on purpose? Or was he just being nice?

"W-what time d-does your shift start?" Marinette stammered.

"I work on Saturday and Sunday afternoons. Also Tuesday and Thursday afternoons after class. Natalie thinks I'm having group study in Nino's house so it's fine," he replied, tossing the stickers away. "Will the spatulas be wrapped separately?"

"Yes. D-do you guys have that large paper bag with handles?"

"Sure we do. Makes carrying these easier and less suspicious," he replied with a smile. He began cutting the wrapper for the box, wrapping them both in the chatter around. Marinette was thinking of walking to the waiting area, but, "Hey, what do you want for Christmas?"

She blinked. "A-are you my Secret Santa? I-if you are, you're doing a horrible job."

"You'll never know," he grinned widely. "I'm more subtle than this if I were your Secret Santa."

The chances of him being her Secret Santa were low, after all. Her stomach, however, flipped like pancakes when Marinette realized that he asked her what she wanted for Christmas. He was going to give her a gift? _REALLY?!_

She mustered all her strength to keep her composure. It would be very embarrassing to squeal and say, "I want you for Christmas," whether alone together or in a public place.

"Um… anything cute would do!" she squeaked. _Especially if that cute thing is you!_

"A Chat Noir plush?" he teased. Marinette stuck her tongue out. Was he serious?

Was he flirting?

"O-oh, not like that," Marinette snorted, brushing the idea off with her hand. Adrien shook his head and smiled, returning his focus once again to the wrapper.

"So, what do you think about the latest villain? A-ben-inable Snowman, right?" he said. "I wonder if Chloe caused it since Ben was one of her butlers, from what I remember."

Marinette smirked. If the akuma possessed someone from the Bourgeois household, Marinette was 99.99% sure it was caused by Chloe. She had to admit, though, that he was one of Ladybug and Chat Noir's toughest opponents. They had to slip and slide through frozen water and stomp through snow-coated rooftops to catch up with him without being pelted with his snowballs. Chat had been especially flirty that day, which didn't make things any better. But then again, he was more helpful than usual, even showing off a burst of strength after the akumatized villain's coldest snowball attack.

"I'm glad Ladybug and Chat Noir defeated him," she said with a fond smile. "I love snow and all, but if it gets any colder, I might as well wear 10 jackets when I leave home."

Silence grew between them once again, but Adrien still wasn't telling her to go sit. ' _Have some courage, girl! Go talk to him!'_ Alya's voice echoed in her mind again.

"S-so, what do you want for Christmas?" she chirped. Adrien's concentration shifted back to her, and he looked as cheerful as ever.

"Anything is fine. But… I'd really like to have a tacky Christmas sweater," he said, smiling. "I haven't had one, ever. My father thinks it's disgraceful to have such 'unfashionable monstrosities', but I think they're pretty comfy to wear and cool to look at."

Marinette giggled. Who knew that the fashionable Adrien Agreste wanted something like that?

"A-are you for real?" she laughed.

"I wouldn't joke about something like that, really. It's also the first thing on my wishlist, so I'm guessing you aren't my Secret Santa," he replied, smirking. _Ack! I totally forgot about the wishlist!_

"I-I was also wondering... uh…" _Marinette, get a hold of yourself!_ "Why have a part-time job in gift wrapping?"

Adrien was almost done with wrapping the box. "My chauffer had connections here," he told her, taping the final wrapping fold for the box. He readied another wrapper in front of him before continuing, "And it's fun. It's pretty hands-on, which I barely do. It pays well, surprisingly. But what makes me enjoy it the most is watching kids run around here happily while parents try their best keeping the gifts a secret. You hear a lot of life stories with this kind of job."

She nodded, sharing the sentiment very well. She often heard regular customers in their patisserie tell stories to her parents or to each other while waiting. It must be quite an experience for Adrien, since being homeschooled deprived him of years watching this kind of situation in front of him.

"Sometimes kids would play hide-and-seek or chase each other in this area, and parents are so exhausted choosing gifts they don't mind anymore," Adrien said fondly. "I… haven't played hide-and-seek as a kid, really."

 _Oh, Adrien._

"And if I worked in, say, Starbucks, my father would find out immediately. The manager here made sure I'm a trade secret. More on the secret, less on the trade." Amazingly, he laughed at his own joke.

The spatulas were almost done being wrapped. Marinette's time with Adrien was almost up. Her brain was still sponging up the fact that she and Adrien actually had a civil conversation with each other, her stuttering to a minimum. Alya would be proud of her, yes, but she wouldn't be able to disclose this to her. _Great, another secret to keep from Alya._

"And… done!" Adrien beamed. Marinette had to admit Adrien's wrapping was clean and crease-free – another proof on his perfection, no doubt.

"You know… customers often provide ribbons so they wouldn't pay extra, but I'll provide for your gifts."

Blood rushed to Marinette's ears. "H-huh? N-no, you d-don't have to!" she stammered, almost pulling the wrapped gifts from him. Adrien shook his head and raised a brow at her, smirking.

"Really, I mean it," Adrien replied calmly. "I also want to practice my ribbon skills."

If he really wanted to… "O-okay. T-thanks!"

Indeed, it took Adrien longer than normal gift wrapping employees to wrap the already wrapped box with the ribbon, but for the wrapped spatulas, he made a tiny ribbon to tape on instead. He smiled to himself, proud of his work, and placed them inside the department store's paper bag with handles.

"Here you go," he said, handing the paper bag over to Marinette with a wide grin. "And here, please give this card to the cashier lady. She'll ask you some questions about my service. Thank you for the great chat, Marinette."

Her freckled cheeks must be really red from how hot they felt. "N-no, thank you for wrapping my presents. And y-you did great!"

"Are you sure you don't want a Chat Noir plush?" he added with a laugh. Marinette shrugged – as long as it's from Adrien, maybe she could tolerate one Chat Noir merchandise in her possession. _As long as he doesn't visit my room again._

"I'm just kidding. I'll think of something for you."

They gazed at each other for a moment before the person behind Marinette cleared her throat loudly.

"I… uh, well, see you in class, Marinette. Thanks again," Adrien said, waving at her. Marinette only nodded and smiled, words stuck in her throat, and walked away from the service lane and into the cashier lane. She was third in line, but Marinette was fine with it – she had time to watch Adrien work.

He smiled oh-so politely at the customer after her as they conversed. The excitement of people around her made Adrien's voice inaudible, but she was contented with seeing him work eagerly.

After receiving the gifts, he extended his arm that pointed to the waiting area. The customer complied and walked to the cushioned seats.

 _Adrien didn't…_

"Next!"

Marinette returned to reality as she realized she was the customer being hailed. She placed the paper bag on the counter and handed the numbered card to the lady.

"Hmm… employee 19… ah! Adrien, that fine boy," she hummed. "Are you two an item or something?"

Marinette completely forgot there was air conditioning in the room. Her heart was thumping wildly in her chest and her cheeks were scorching. "N-no! W-we aren't!"

The lady chortled as she checked the wrapped presents. "Really? He seems to like you a lot."

 _Like… me… a… lot?_

"Here's the receipt," she said. Marinette began fumbling her purse for her wallet, thanking Tikki was inside and kind enough to give it to her. Her hands were trembling from the mix of excitement and surprise from being told that Adrien "seemed to like her a lot" in a stranger's eyes.

"How was Adrien's services? Fantastic? Do you want to leave a tip for him?"

"Y-yes. H-he wrapped my presents well and h-he's great at holding conversations," she said in a whisper, handing over her money. "W-where do you leave tips?"

The lady pointed at the wall on Marinette's left. There were small lockers with pigeon holes, a large golden number engraved on each. "His locker is 19. Thank you for wrapping with us and have a happy holiday!"

She gave her thanks and ran to the lockers, giving Adrien additional pay for his gift for Nino without hesitation. She took one last glance at Adrien, who was busily wrapping a pyramid-shaped present ( _what kind of present is that?!)_ , before leaving the mall, skipping joyfully back home. At least now she had an idea of what Adrien wanted for Christmas… and at least they chatted with each other.

Forget Hawkmoth and his akumas or procrastination with presents – not even they could remove the joy wrapped around Marinette by the glimmer of Adrien's pure smile and the music of his gentle voice.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Miraculous Ladybug (slash Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug and Chat Noir... really long name XD) and Pokemon.

 **A/N:** omg thank you guys for the reads and reviews and follows! :D I hope you guys are still having a wonderful Christmas. How'd you guys celebrate? :D Here's the next chapter, though the next update will be in a few days because I have a busy weekend ahead D: thank you to **ThePenguinSledder** , **Guest** , **La Signora Della Grande Cielo** , **Serenity Prime** , **Future Fairy Godmother** , and **Sweetblood1918** for the reviews! :) Yes, Adrien's such a cinnamon roll sweetheart so I couldn't help myself. XD

Also, I'm thinking of gifting a short fic to anyone who guesses who Nino and/or Adrien got for their class Secret Santa. Any guesses? :D

 **...**

 **Ribbons and Wrappers**

 **...**

 _[From: Alya – 6:21 PM]_

 _Girl why didn't you tell me you went Christmas shopping?_

 _[To: Alya – 6:22 PM]_

 _i'm sorry ;n; mom and dad were busy finishing orders today and i thought it's my chance to sneak out and buy their presents without them noticing i left ;n;_

 _[From: Alya – 6:23 PM]_

 _Well at least you got them presents now :P are you working on your gift for Adrien?_

 _[To: Alya – 6:24 PM]_

 _not yet! D: he wants a tacky Christmas sweeter right? ;n;_

 _[To: Alya – 6:24 PM]_

 _*sweater ughhh i hate autocorrect so much how do you turn this off?_

 _[From: Alya – 6:24 PM]_

 _Oh no you don't girl! Stick with your original plan! I already got him a Christmas sweater!_

 _[From: Alya – 6:25 PM]_

 _Omg what is a Christmas sweeter? XD anyway, go online so I can send you the pic. Nino gave me the idea on what sweater he'd like!_

 _[To: Alya – 6:26 PM]_

 _okey dokey!_

 ** _..._**

 _StarryMari is now Online_

 **LadyAlya:** finally!

 **StarryMari:** okay so can I see the tacky sweater now?

 **LadyAlya has sent a file: [DS00121 dot jpg ]**

 **Download Complete**

 **StarryMari:** …

 **StarryMari:** you got him

 **StarryMari:** a

 **StarryMari:** LADYBUG SWEATER?

 **LadyAlya:** IT WAS ON SALE OKAY? And Nino told me Adrien's a fan! Gotta spread the Ladybug love!

 **StarryMari:** I thought you said TACKY SWEATER?

 **LadyAlya:** he didn't say TACKY in his wishlist, girl

 **LadyAlya:** did you actually pay attention to what he wrote in his wishlist?

 **StarryMari:** I did but I forgot… because I was already determined to make him a coat that matches his blue scarf

 **LadyAlya:** so stick to your plan, girl! I'm his Secret Santa so I have to follow his wishlist, but you aren't. Make him a coat that could even make his dad say, "WOW!"

 **LadyAlya:** and then he'll hire you as an apprentice/intern/whatever-you-call-his-underling-designers AND YOU'LL GET TO WORK WITH ADRIEN IN PHOTOSHOOTS :

 **StarryMari:** you're right! gosh Alya you're the bestest best friend a girl like me could ever have!

 **LadyAlya:** of course! It's my duty to help you focus and meet your goals with a smile on your face

 **LadyAlya:** so what did you get for Ivan?

 **StarryMari:** the newest album of his favorite band :D

 **StarryMari:** by the way you and Nino went shopping together for Adrien's gift yesterday?

 **LadyAlya:** yeah! We planned to meet up and help each other with choosing presents for the people we got

 **StarryMari:** oooooh! hihihihihihi!

 **LadyAlya:** I know what you're thinking, girl. Just, no. Please.

 **StarryMari:** I haven't said anythingggggggggg hihihihi!

 **StarryMari:** oh oh and who did Nino get?

 **LadyAlya:** not telling! We have a statute of secrecy for this matter

 **StarryMari:** HIHIHIHIHIHIHI AWWWWW

 **LadyAlya:** …

 **LadyAlya:** I should have chosen my words better…

 **StarryMari:** you guys are so cute together really hihihi

 **StarryMari:** did you get him anything?

 **LadyAlya:** of course I did!

 **StarryMari:** what is it? :D

 **LadyAlya:** that's for me to know and for you to find out :P

 **StarryMari:** aww don't make me wait until our class party :(

 **LadyAlya:** hey, I already spoiled you with what I'm giving to Adrien. Be a dear and be contented.

 **StarryMari:** yes momma Alya

 **LadyAlya:** so have you finished your mom's dress?

 **StarryMari:** almost! just have to sew the buttons in and done!

 **LadyAlya:** how about my gift?

 **StarryMari:** no spoilers!

 **LadyAlya:** well no spoilers to your gift too. I'll brb, gotta attend to the little ones

 **StarryMari:** alrighty! talk to you later! :D

 **...**

 _December 11, 2015 (Friday), 4:30 PM_

"Hey, Marinette! Great to see you here again!"

What a surprising turn of events; Marinette had only stepped one foot inside the department store and suddenly Adrien-in-glasses was right in front of her with his messenger bag slung on his shoulder. She almost backed away in shock, hands frantically shaking to cover her face, a little "Eek!" slipping from her tongue. The blond boy blinked, eyes wide in similar surprise, before stifling a laugh.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you," he said, averting his gaze to his shoes (Marinette did so as well, giggling mentally when she saw Adrien wearing new black boots).

"No big deal! I'm sorry I got too surprised!" Marinette replied in a very fast pace, hands still shaking. _Keep your cool, Marinette. Be as cool as Adrien… as if that's possible._

"Are you going to have some presents wrapped again?" he asked. She shook her head immediately.

"N-not today," she said, smiling weakly. "I'm just going to buy a roll of wrapper. I heard the wrappers they sell here are cheaper than the ones in the bookstore."

He nodded in agreement, glancing at the aisle for Christmas-related products. "Well, I got out early today because I have enough money to buy a gift for Nino. Can… can I join you?"

 _Oh, can he ever!_ "U-uh, y-yes! Of course! It would be less lonely that way!" she exclaimed, nodding her head rabidly, her legs wiggling in excitement out of habit. Adrien grinned at her – _at me!_ – and positioned himself beside her before leading her inside. The store didn't feel as cold as last Wednesday, honestly. Marinette wondered if her huge crush on him was already obvious enough for him to realize it; she knew everyone in class was well aware that their beloved (save for Chloe and, to an extension, Sabrina) class president was infatuated with teen idol Adrien Agreste, save for the boy himself. Although, his friendliness to her right now was befuddling – if he knew, was he being nice to her to make a statement that he just wanted to be friends… or because maybe, in a 1/36 probability of a pair of dice rolling for a combination of 2, him liking her back was THAT chance. Maybe one-thirty sixth was too big, but Marinette didn't want to think of her chances with Adrien to be one in a million.

"You don't happen to be Nino's Secret Santa… or are you?" Adrien asked out of the blue. Marinette blinked and looked at him, almost jumping in surprise when she saw Adrien already staring at her with his emerald-like eyes, glistening with the same shine and shade as the gem itself. Her words started rolling back again to her throat, much to her horror.

"I… uh… won't say…?" she replied, voice a pitch higher. If Adrien assumed she was, it was because she was really, really bad at lying to him and her body language is overreacting in his presence again. Why couldn't she feel as comfortable as she was like last time?

Adrien softly laughed. "I'm guessing you aren't?"

"No… no, I'm not," she sighed. "W-we're not supposed to go snooping for who picked who. It'll spoil the fun in the class party."

"I guess I'm a spoiler then," he jested, chuckling to himself. "I feel like a child in school. I'm so excited with things such as exchange gifts or parlor games, it's hard keeping my cool."

Oh, right! Marinette and Alya helped Miss Bustier plan the program of their party. She almost forgot they had parlor games, which she would look forward to. "Y-you'll love parlor games," she squeaked. Adrien cocked his head towards her, a brow raised.

"Really? What games are we having? You don't have to tell me if this will give me an advantage, though," he inquired. Marinette easily fell for his animated demeanor.

"W-well… w-we have musical chairs, newspaper dance, bring me... and, and limbo! And Alya also wants a relay, but we aren't sure what thing to relay yet. We're thinking of more games too so… so if you or Nino have suggestions, you can tell me!" she answered excitedly. The thought of playing newspaper dance with Adrien had crossed her mind several times already.

Adrien's opened his mouth slowly, until he said, "Oh!" in awe. "I've always wanted to play musical chairs. What kind of music do you often play for it?"

Marinette bit her lip. "Hmm… any kind of music, actually. Cheerful ones!" She wanted to ask Adrien about how he celebrated his birthdays or Christmas days before, or how rich people in general plan the birthday parties of their children.

"Whoa, that really sounds fun. I haven't played it before, but I got to watch other kids play it," he recollected. "Whose idea was it to have parlor games?"

She slowly raised her hand. "I-I did. S-since last year's party was k-kind of dull, Alya and I decided to bring back games. It also brings out team spirit and healthy competition in our class. I-I honestly want our class to be very close friends b-before we finish college."

"That's… really thoughtful of you, Marinette." She knew she was blushing with the way heat slowly trickled in her cheeks once again. The way her name rolled of his tongue sent shivers down her spine, with its gentleness like fingers cascading on a piano for a comely melody. If she faced him again and saw his star-bright eyes again, her legs might give up, but that didn't stop her to do so.

He looked so calm and kind and awed that even her modesty couldn't deny he was swayed by her. She would always see this, the flicker of impression and delight, in Alya's expression, in Tikki's laughter, in her parents' smiles, when she was herself. The rest of the time, she felt it as Ladybug, from the cheers of Parisians down to Chat Noir's fond stares. Never did she think the day would come that Adrien – the Adrien she swooned and sighed for – would give her that look as Marinette, and not Ladybug.

"Here we are," Adrien said after they took a turn around an aisle. The shelves were filled with wreaths and garlands, streamers and crepe paper art. There were strings of letters that spelt "MERRY CHRISTMAS" or "HAPPY HOLIDAYS" and snow globes of snowmen or Santa Claus or… Chat and Ladybug?

"T-they sell snow globes of Chat Noir and Ladybug?" Marinette gawked. Adrien tapped his chin before grabbing one.

"Wow. I'm amazed these haven't sold out yet," he mumbled. "But then again, these are a hit in the toy stores, so most of the stock must be there."

"Chat and Ladybug in a snow globe," Marinette repeated.

"Do you think Alya would like it?" he asked.

"O-of course," she answered. Anything Ladybug and Chat Noir-related would definitely catch Alya's eye. Especially this snow globe, Marinette thought, since it had tiny figures of the Parisian heroes in Christmas hats and, apparently, under a mistletoe.

"Who thought of this?" she grumbled.

"I have no idea," Adrien said. Marinette glanced at him… and she swore she saw a familiar glint of mischief in his eyes trademark of Chat Noir… but maybe she was just too overwhelmed and imagined things instead. Regardless of Alya's "Adrien is Chat" propaganda, Marinette just couldn't picture her sweet and cool true love to be that reckless and flirty cat.

"I… I'm going to get two of these," he told her with a smile. "One for Alya and another for a friend. I was really wondering what I could get Alya, since she's so nice to me."

"Trust me, she'll even hug you for it," she warned, but Adrien didn't look fazed at all. She resumed to searching for a roll of Christmas wrapping paper until she found a perfect one. It was pastel pink with floral swirls, which would look great with her baby blue ribbons at home.

"I-I'm done," she said, raising the roll she took. Adrien nodded and walked with her towards the cashier lanes.

"H-hey, Marinette… is it alright with you if you… come with me to the videogame store?" Adrien asked. _R-REALLY?!_ "I… uh, well, would like your input."

"S-sure! A-anything to help!" she said gleefully, legs wiggling once more. Adrien nodded once and smiled at her again, his gaze lingering for more than a second, before he looked away and resumed walking beside her to the cashier.

"By the way, thanks for the tip," Adrien said, grinning. Marinette's eyes traveled to her boots as she felt her ears and cheeks heating up again. By now, Adrien must have noticed her body's subconscious hints of her feelings for him.

"N-no problem. For Nino," she whispered.

"I've been saving up on his gift for a while now, really," Adrien added. "Before my father got mad at Nino, I already had his gift funds in my pocket money so I won't have to mess with my bank account or anything. It was a good move."

"O-oh," she hummed. It was really nice of him to think of Nino that highly, and Marinette couldn't blame him. The guy was very loyal and friendly to Adrien, and he was his first best friend in his life.

"I'm buying his second present. He was arguing with himself day and night on what game to buy," he chuckled. "He finally got a 3DS of his two months ago. He won't be borrowing Max's anytime soon."

Marinette stared at him with wide eyes. "I have a hunch… is he deciding whether to buy Pokemon Omega Ruby or Alpha Sapphire?"

He started laughing. "How'd you guess?"

She shrugged. "M-my dad and I had the same dilemma a few months ago," she said, smiling at the memory. "So my mom said she'd buy Omega Ruby while my dad would buy Alpha Sapphire."

"I only got to watch Pokemon," Adrien told her, grinning. "My dad doesn't want to buy videogames for me, so I'm just going to borrow Nino's once he finally gets tired of gaming."

"Don't count on it," she teased.

"With the first present I bought him, I'm pretty sure he'd lend me his 3DS," he said confidently.

She tilted her head. "W-what did you get him?"

Of course, she didn't expect him to actually tell her… but he did anyway. "It's a Launchpad. It's like this small box with buttons that he can use to make music," he answered. His eyes were filled with pride. "I really saved up for it."

"He'd love it!" she squealed, jumping in place, which surprised her and the people around them. Adrien didn't let this bother him – in fact, he looked really glad on her input.

"H-he'd be so excited!" she continued. "Alya kept telling me how Nino wanted to 'kick his DJ skills up a notch' or something."

"Thanks, Marinette. I'm glad I have someone tell me he'll love it. I was skeptical at first, but it seems like the best gift I could get him," he said. "Oh, we're next."

They both placed the wrapper and snow globes on the counter, watching the cashier lady gently slide the products towards the paper bag boy. Adrien's eyes squinted as he checked the total price, taking out his wallet from his pocket. He paid for both his and Marinette's items, earning resistant comments from the girl.

"I-I'll pay you back!" Marinette declared, but Adrien shook his head.

"It's fine, Marinette," he replied. "You can return the favor by joining me to the videogame store and for a snack?"

Did he just say she would join him for a snack?


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Miraculous Ladybug or Pokemon or Legend of Zelda or Super Mario or Super Smash Bros. I don't even own a 3DS or a Playstation or a Wii! *cries in the distance*

 **A/N:** Yes, it's not Christmas anymore but I'll still be updating! :D Thank you to everyone who reviewed and tried guessing who Nino and/or Adrien got for the Secret Santa. As clarification, I will gift fics to whoever guesses one out of two right (so if you guessed who Nino or Adrien got, yay! If you guessed both right, double yay!). I'm doing this because I'm thankful you guys stuck with the story and even entertained me with your guesses! :) Anyway, on with the chapter!

 **...**

 **Ribbons and Wrappers**

 **...**

"I definitely have to buy a 3DS… or is a PlayStation better?"

It gave Marinette both bliss and heartache seeing Adrien's eyes turn starry while roaming around the large videogame store, whispering to himself variations of, "I can't believe I'm in a videogame store!" Although Marinette greatly idolized Gabriel Agreste for his eye in fashion and for giving the world such a beautiful son, she began to have second thoughts on his actual parenting methods.

Adrien checked every shelf and rack in the store, scanning game titles and consoles like a child ready to choose his first videogame. She did the same, checking for Xbox and 3DS games that her father might like to play. Maybe I could save up for his birthday if I find a good game!

Once the two reached the shelf filled with 3DS games, Adrien's eyes locked with Marinette's. "Okay, so which game should I get?"

Marinette squinted her eyes and noticed the games in question were at the lowest part of the shelf. She crouched, surprised that Adrien mimicked her, and took the two games. She handed one to him as they stood up in unison.  
"Alpha… Sapphire, huh?" Marinette softly giggled as Adrien spun the game's case around before glancing at the version she was holding. "What's the difference between these two?"

"They have different main villains, for starters," Marinette began. She pointed at the version she was holding. "This is Omega Ruby, and your enemies are from Team Magma, a group that wants to expand Earth's landmass. The copy you're holding is Alpha Sapphire. If you choose that, the enemies will be from Team Aqua, which wants to increase the ocean's size."

Adrien was nodding along while occasionally moving his gaze from the two games and Marinette. "And also, they have different legendary Pokemon. You said you watched Pokemon, right? So…"

"Yes, I know what legendary Pokemon are," he assured, grinning. "Which one do you think I should get?"

"Th-that's hard t-to answer. Maybe Omega Ruby because you're holding it?" she suggested with a weak smile. "A-and it's not a big deal. Everyone can trade Pokemon with one another. N-Nino would be grateful r-regardless of which one you get."

"Thanks for your input, Marinette," he smiled, giving her a little pat on the shoulder. As he walked towards the cashier, Marinette rested her hands on the shoulder he touched, sighing softly in a daze. Suddenly, the boy stopped walking and glanced at a shelf behind glass. His attention shifted to Marinette, prompting the girl to move on from her daydreaming and to rush towards him.

"What's this game?" he asked, pointing at the games locked behind a glass barrier. Adrien must have been curious on why Pikachu was on the cover of another videogame, which, to her delight, she knew very well.

"Oh! T-that's Super Smash Bros. for the Wii U," she answered. "It has a 3DS version. Max was planning to arrange everyone with the game to play it together. It's really fun!"

"I have got to catch up with these games," Adrien laughed. "I'm fifteen and I still have no experience with awesome games."

"So… you really haven't played videogames?" she asked, voice a mix of shock and sadness.

"I played some with relatives when we visit them. I loved Legend of Zelda and Super Mario. Oh, and a game where you punch policemen and steal their cars. I forgot the name of the game, though." He sniggered at the memory. "My father wants me to focus on fencing and other 'real games'… basically sports. How about you? Your dad likes videogames?"

Marinette nodded cheerfully. "Y-yep! We have some consoles at home. H-he plays a lot during his spare time or between preparation times in baking.

Sometimes mom wants us to play dancing games versus each other," she said.  
"Like those in arcades?" he chirped. He seemed to be fond with those. Alya did tell her that Nino dragged Adrien to play in the arcade once. It was rumored that he almost beat the highest score of the dance arcade game, but a flock of girls squeeing and pushing each other to watch him distracted Adrien too much.

"Y-yeah!" Marinette giggled. "Alya and I play sometimes too when she sleeps over."

A thought suddenly flashed in Marinette's mind… and faded immediately. She winced – was there something she was forgetting?

"So Marinette, do you want to go have a snack in some coffee shop or something?" Adrien asked, pointing at the Starbucks branch in front of the videogame store. Marinette felt a knot in her stomach form, still trying to remember what she had forgotten. All she remembered was _it has something to do with home._

"O-or! I-if it's okay with you… maybe I could… visit your bakery?" Adrien suggested.

No words formed coherently in Marinette's brain anymore. It was almost as if Adrien read her mind, and strangely enough, he still wanted to be with her. She felt her purse jiggling – Tikki must have been giggling inside.  
"S-sure!" was all she could say.

* * *

They arrived at Marinette's house faster than she expected, mostly because Adrien insisted his chauffer drive him. The drive back to the bakery was silent, with only slow Christmas carols singing from the radio in front and Adrien stuffing items (including his glasses of disguise) in his bag. Marinette hadn't noticed she dozed off until she felt a warm hand on her jacket.

"Marinette, Marinette," a voice chanted. Her eyes slowly fluttered open, her blurry vision slowly focusing on the blond boy in front of her, eyes directly meeting hers, with the backdrop of an open door and a snowy bakery behind him.

"W-we're here?" she mumbled. Adrien extended his hand for her to hold as she slowly moved out of the car while holding the roll of wrapping paper. Adrien told his chauffer to pick up some groceries and come back when he calls again, the latter responding with a grunt. Marinette was still absorbing the fact that she was finally home…

With Adrien.

He opened the door for her (what a gentleman! she thought groggily) and followed her inside. Her mom and dad were attending to a line of customers, all ogling the list of desserts available.

"Papa, Ma, I'm home," Marinette said. The customers eagerly greeted Marinette, but one little girl said, "Hey! You're A…Adi… Adri-"

Adrien quickly pressed his pointer finger on his lips and, "Shhh," winking at the little girl. Marinette shook her head and smiled.

"What do you want to eat?" she asked, leading Adrien to their home's kitchen. Her mother quickly rushed to them with a polite smile on her face.

"How are you, Marinette? And, oh, you brought a classmate with you!" she said, clapping her hands together. Adrien bowed once and returned a small smile.  
"I'm Adrien Agreste, Mrs. Cheng," he introduced. Marinette's mother peeked at her daughter at the corner of her eye before returning her attention to Adrien, who looked very calm… save for his moving hands.

"You can call me Sabine! It's nice to meet you," her mother replied, placing a hand in front of her lips while laughing softly. "You two look cold. Would you like some fresh croissants and hot chocolate?"

"With marshmallows, Mom," Marinette said.  
"Coming right up, sweetie!"

Her mother left them both alone in the kitchen, a confused Adrien staring at a still-tired Marinette. "I'll pay for–"

"You don't have to, Adrien," she interrupted with a sleepy smile. "My treat."

Adrien could only nod, aware of Marinette's drowsiness, and rested his head on the table with her. Marinette knew Adrien was as tired as she was, since he rushed to the mall after their exam to work, and even after his shift, he accompanied her around the mall and entertained her. It was a mystery to her how he maintained such a youthful and eyebag-less appearance despite such a hectic schedule, because she was pretty sure he didn't put make-up on during school days. He must also be really good in secret-keeping, considering how he wasn't frantic about his father finding out he was working behind his back.

"Marinette?"

"Hmm?"

"You're really nice, you know that?"

"…"

"I'm glad I got to spend the day with you."

Marinette buried her face into her arms. "You're really nice too. I'm also happy I bumped into you today."

There was a strange kind of tension between them, this moment the first time Marinette had ever felt it. It wasn't horrible, per se, but it was… really different. More knots were forming in her stomach, her heart squeezing, throbbing a bittersweet ache. She took deeper breaths and longer exhales, thoughts strung together in her mind slowly falling apart. Then the voice in her head starts chanting his name like a glorious mantra, more so than it did before.

"Here you go, kids!" Marinette's mother announced from afar, and both Marinette and Adrien sprung their heads upwards. The woman was carrying a tray with two plates containing four croissants, two white mugs with wisps of smoke dancing upwards, and two little plates with a handful of tiny marshmallows each.

"Whoa…" Adrien hummed, eyes twinkling with sincere delight. Marinette could hear, could FEEL, the thump, thump, thump on her chest pacing faster as everything but Adrien became a blur. She shook her head, averting her gaze towards her mother, who was looking at her with a knowing smile.

"Dig in, kids! These croissants are fresh from the oven and sure to melt in your mouth, Adrien," Sabine beamed.

She glanced at her daughter again, still giving the same smile. Oh great, Marinette thought, Mom thinks we're going out.

"I'll be helping your papa, sweetie. So ask Adrien to give his review to you instead," Sabine added, grinning, before leaving the room. Marinette gaped at the direction her mother left to, unaware that Adrien was holding back a snicker while staring at her.

He sighed and took a croissant, watching Marinette sprinkle the marshmallows on her cup of hot chocolate. Adrien took a whiff of the drink and exhaled with an expression akin to being lovestruck. Marinette noticed and raised a brow in confusion.

"This… this hot chocolate smells heavenly," Adrien breathed.

 _He looks really adorable!_

She nodded. "Mom makes the best hot chocolate, in my opinion. She uses dark chocolate so it would have the strong chocolate flavor but not be too sweet. We put marshmallows for the sweetness, and it goes really well with mom's chocolate brew!"

"My, my, my, why didn't you tell me Adrien's here?" a voice came from behind.  
Marinette gulped, eyebrows knitting together. Of course, that's what she forgot!  
She and Alya planned to have a sleep over tonight!

"Oh, hey, Alya," Adrien greeted, waving his hand holding a whole croissant. Marinette's cheeks flushed deep crimson while Alya gave her a smug look.  
"Hey, Adrien! What brings you here?" she asked, approaching the chair next to Marinette.

"W-we met in the mall," Marinette said, watching Adrien chomp on the croissant. His eyes slowly closed, head moving around, lips curling to a smile. Alya nudged her on the rib and batted her eyelashes as though she heard Marinette's internal swooning.

"T-this is amazing, Marinette! It really does melt in your mouth," he gushed before taking another bite, savoring the taste slowly but surely. Marinette's face flushed into a deeper red, gaping at his angelic looks. His fingers slowly wrapped around the mug's handle as he finished off his first croissant, his other hand dipping marshmallows one by one in hot chocolate. He took another whiff before drinking, and he smiled more brightly than Marinette had ever seen before.

"Awesome, right?" Alya mused. "It's one of the reasons I love visiting Marinette."  
"I might just end up visiting her more," he chuckled. Alya gave Marinette another nudge, worried that her best friend was currently stiff with flattery and surprise. However, the girl ended up giggling too much, a hand over her lips. Alya was relieved Adrien became distracted with his phone ringing from his pocket. They both watched his smile fall, followed by a very soft grunt.

"I… I guess I have to go," Adrien sighed, glancing at Marinette. "My father's looking for me and my chauffeur. It's a relief I told him to go grocery shopping first."

Marinette bit her lip. "O-oh. Y-you won't g-get into trouble, right?"

Adrien shook his head, giving her a reassuring smile. "Don't worry. I'm a big boy."

"How about your food, though?" Alya piped in. The boy's eyebrows knitted together as he looked at his unfinished plate sadly.

"Y-you can bring them home!" Marinette said immediately. L-let me just get a paper bag!"

She immediately rushed out of the dining room, Alya's voice fading out of earshot. She knew her best friend would keep Adrien great company, but her biggest worry now is if Adrien was starting to notice how strange she was acting towards him.

Even she noticed herself! Today was different compared to school days with her gazing at Adrien's golden hair or peeking at Adrien modeling from a bush in the park. Today, she was able to spend precious time with Adrien and talk to him and have fun with him… _if he considers walking in a mall fun._

She snuck at the kitchen of the bakery and successfully snatched a brown paper bag, but her mother was faster than she thought. "Marinette, I saw that!"

The girl's cheeks flushed red. "M-my friend has to go and he hasn't finished his croissants yet!"

Her mother raised a brow. "Why didn't you just tell me sooner, honey? I'll even give him some cream puffs and eclairs, on the house!"

She replied only with a giggle. Her mother patted her head and smiled at her lovingly. "By the way, honey, isn't he the boy in the posters of your room?"

Before Marinette could explain (or at least yell, "MOM!"), she was quickly cut off with her mother's laugh. "Go back inside, Marinette. I'll be there in a minute."

The girl quickly trotted away from the bakery, cheeks redder than ever. Alya's voice was becoming louder again; apparently, she was interrogating Adrien about the Physics exam they took this morning.

"What if we didn't draw the free body diagram? Would Miss Mendeleiev kill my grade?" Alya asked, panicked.

"I think it's fine!" Adrien replied in a chipper voice. "The problem solving questions were easy enough to answer without free body diagrams."

She heard Alya exhale in relief. "Whew. But dang, I wouldn't call those questions easy – you're just smart."

Adrien chuckled. "Thanks, but I just work hard for Physics. I'd pour my heart and soul to solve the mysteries of quantum physics."

"Boy, we're still in collége. Save that advanced mumbo jumbo for university," Alya joked. "And don't be modest. You're smart and everyone knows it! But… would your dad would allow you to pursue Physics in the future?"

"Hopefully," Adrien said. Marinette was amazed the both of them were unaware of her presence. But then again, she was hiding behind a wall. "My grades are slowly convincing him that I can become a physicist and a fashion mogul."

Alya laughed. "That would be quite an achievement. I hope you don't mind me interviewing you in the future when you become successful."

"If I do become successful," the boy replied, hints of humor in his voice. "And sure, I'll always make time for your interviews."

Marinette beamed. She would definitely join Alya whenever she would interview Adrien in the future.

"By the way, do you think Nino would like earphones? Or is he the headphones kind of guy?" Alya asked. Marinette clapped her palms together softly – now she definitely knew what Alya got for Nino.

"I think Nino would prefer headphones over earphones any day," she heard Adrien say. "It's more comfortable for his tastes."

Alya snorted. "Yeah, I guess stuffing earbuds can be irritating. But it's more convenient to carry around."

"Nino doesn't mind wearing his around his neck," Adrien replied in a humored tone. Marinette, meanwhile, snuck inside the room and crept right next to Alya, surprising the girl. Alya smirked and patted Marinette's head endearingly.  
"Hey, girl! Where's the paper bag?"

Marinette fiddled with the collar of her shirt. "I-uh, Mom's got it covered…?" she replied, her voice getting higher. She glanced at Adrien, who was beaming at her as he took another sip from his mug of hot chocolate.

"He was able to finish two croissants because they are just that good," Alya told her.

"I don't want it to go to waste," the boy added, mouth full with another croissant. Marinette squeezed her lips shut, trying to avoid giggling at how cute Adrien was. Sure, she had lunch with Alya, Nino, and Adrien before, but this was her first time seeing Adrien goof off more.

"Alrighty, I have a bag of pastries for this handsome boy here," a voice suddenly said, startling Marinette. Her mother waltzed into the room and gently placed a chunky paper bag with its top rolled and taped. There was a glint of excitement in Adrien's eyes.

"W-wow! You didn't have to, Mrs. Cheng!" he cheered, slowly taking the paper bag and holding his gaze on it.

"Like I said, call me Sabine. And do you really have to leave now?" her mother asked, lips pouting. Adrien pouted as well before shrugging.

"My driver's already out front and I don't want to keep him waiting," he replied politely, standing up. He grinned at the two girls seated across him. "I had fun today, Marinette. See you guys in school!"

"And thank you for everything, Mrs…" Adrien's face went red when Marinette's mother raised an eyebrow. "…I-I mean, Sabine!"

The look of warning on Sabine's face quickly turned into a smile. "I really loved the croissants. And the hot chocolate…" he paused, closing his eyes as he remembered the aroma and taste. "…it was truly heavenly."

The smile on Sabine's face became wider. "You're so sweet! You have to thank my husband for the croissants. He's brilliant, and I hope you enjoy the other pastries."

"I definitely will. Thank you again!" Adrien said finally. He glanced at Marinette and sent a wink at, melting the girl's fluttering heart with glee. He left the room, clutching the paper bag in hand, leaving Marinette dazed. Her state was interrupted by a nudge from Alya, whose grin was reminiscent of Chat Noir's.

"Girl, you have all night to tell me everything about your day with Adrien!" she squealed.

"So that is the boy in Marinette's posters?" another voice said.

Marinette screeched in surprise. How could they forget her mother was in the same room?

She groaned and gawked at the ceiling after Alya giggled, affirming her mother's conjecture. Sabine smiled at her daughter once the girl finally looked at her. Marinette could faint in embarrassment right now, but thankfully her mother had no idea that Adrien was also her wallpaper on her computer.

"Don't worry, sweetie. Papa won't know about it," her mother teased. "And I like him. He has great taste in food and he's really good looking. Reel him in before he jumps off the hook, Marinette!"

Marinette gaped at her mother as the woman left the room. It never occurred to her that her mother would support her in such a cool mom way.

"She's right, you know," Alya snickered. "Now tell Momma Alya everything, with every detail for every single moment!"


End file.
